To regain the full use of the wrist following various types of injuries, it is frequently found necessary or helpful to provide some form of physical therapy. This is especially true if the wrist has been confined for some time in a cast which tends to leave it in a stiff and weakened condition. Muscles associated with the bending or flexing of the wrist become atrophied, and the stiffened or enlarged tissues surrounding the joints interfere with the full motion of the joint system.
A particular form of therapy that is helpful in certain cases involves the controlled application of a force to the hand and wrist in a manner which draws the back of the hand upward toward a fully flexed position. Allowing the wrist to be flexed or bent in this manner tends to restore full freedom of movement while muscular resistance to the applied force restores tone and strength to the muscles.
Heretofore, there has not been available a suitable brace or appliance for such use. Makeshift braces and springs are typically too awkward and cumbersome to be worn under everyday living conditions.
What is needed is a compact, low-profile device that may be worn conveniently under typical conditions of work or recreation. In the provision of such a device, it is also important to insure that the device will not subject the wrist to compression or tension forces that are in some cases harmful to the joint and may only result in additional injury or an extended recovery period.
The present invention is directed toward the provision of a device of this type which may be applied to the wrist of a patient by a physician or physical therapist.